Chapter 14
Marlowe
“Kate ... What are you doing here?”
I’d just finished taking a shower and was drying my hair when Kate showed up at my apartment completely unannounced.
Of course, while I was still trying to put myself together, Kate looked like she’d just stepped out of some fashion magazine.
With a flick of her long blonde hair, she sauntered through the doorway and into the kitchen as she answered, “I told you Eric had a meeting this morning.”
“I remember. I also remember you saying you were going to call.”
“I was, but I knew you would be here.” She pursed her lips with a slight eyeroll. “It’s not like you have anywhere else to go.”
“Seriously?” She’d been there all of two seconds, and I was already annoyed with her. “You have no idea what I have going on in my life.”
“Oh, give me a break. You know what I meant.” She walked over to the coffee pot and helped herself to a cup as she said, “You don’t have work until later this afternoon, right?”
“Yeah, but ...” I started, then realized I was wasting my breath. I followed Kate over to the table, and as we sat down, I smiled as I remembered what had taken place there an hour earlier. “So, how are things with Mom and Dad?”
“They’re trying their best to adjust to me being gone, but they adore Eric, especially Mom. She just goes on and on about how lucky I am to have found such a great guy.” She took a sip of her coffee, then said, “I have to wonder what she’d think of Rafe.”
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Marlie. You know exactly what I’m talking about.
The guy is hot and all kinds of swoon-worthy, but that’s really all you can say about him.
He’s a biker with no education, and his family isn’t much better.
His dad is a mechanic for God’s sake.” When she saw my expression, she reached over and placed her hand on mine.
“I don’t mean to sound harsh, Sis. It’s just ... you can do a lot better than that guy.”
Until then, I hadn’t really thought about the conversation Rafe had with her at the club.
I could only imagine how rude and pompous Kate must’ve been with him, which made me instantly regret ever leaving him alone with her.
I pulled my hand away from hers as I snapped, “Not that it matters to you, but I happen to think Rafe is wonderful and feel lucky to have him in my life.”
“You don’t have to get all defensive about it, Marlie. It’s not like you’re married to the guy.” She cut her eyes as she reached for her coffee. “You have time to find someone else, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be.”
“I have no intention of finding someone else, Kate.”
“Why not?” Her brows furrowed as she scoffed, “Are you in love with him or something?”
“And what if I am?”
“I don’t know ... I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” She motioned her hand around my apartment. “I mean, look at this place ... and that crazy job of yours. Seems you’ve settled in more ways than one.”
“Have you always been so judgmental, or is this something new?”
“I’m not being judgmental, Marlowe. I’m just being honest with you. You had everything you could possibly want, and you gave it all up. And for what? This?” She threw her hands up in the air as she grumbled, “A hole in the wall apartment and a job bartending at a strip club?”
“I’m happy here, Kate. I like my life. I like my apartment and my job.
” I ran my hand through my hair with a sigh.
“For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m not stuck in your shadow.
I have something of my own, something I can be proud of, and I don’t understand why that isn’t enough for you. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Are you being serious right now?” Kate’s cheeks flushed red as she stood up and snarled, “You’ve always been so self-righteous—even more so now that you’ve gotten out on your own.”
“Self-righteous? Really?”
“Yes, really. Even after everything Mom and Dad did for you it was never enough. You always wanted more ... expected more. You couldn’t just be thankful they took you in and put a roof over your head.”
“As parents, that’s what they’re supposed to do, Kate. They did the same for you, and so much more. It’s almost comical how much more they did for you than they did for me, and they didn’t even feel the least bit bad about it.”
“That’s because I’m their daughter.”
“I’m their daughter too.”
“You aren’t listening to me, Marlie. I am their daughter. Their flesh and blood.” She jabbed her fingers into her chest as she shouted, “Me! I was theirs. You were just some kid they took in.”
Enraged by her declaration, I stood and took a step over to her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t stand there and act like you didn’t know!”
“What exactly are you saying?”
“How do you not know this?” She took a strand of her hair in her hand as she spat, “I mean, really. I have blonde hair and blue eyes just like Mom, and you have dark hair and dark eyes.”
I didn’t know if it was the fact that I didn’t believe what she was implying or the fact I didn’t want to believe it, but I needed her to spell it out for me. It was the only way my brain would fully accept the insanity she was dishing out. “Are you trying to say I’m adopted?”
“Ummm, yeah. Duh! God, you can be so thick-brained sometimes,” she grumbled as she walked into my living room and snatched our family portrait from the mantle.
She lifted it with the photograph facing me.
“It’s time to face the fact. You’re not a Davenport.
Never have been. Never will be. Clearly, you can’t even play the part. Just don’t have the genes for it.”
“It has nothing to do with genes. I was never given the chance to be a real Davenport. You’re the one who got all the lavish clothes, drove the fancy car, and found a way to take whatever small scraps were tossed in my direction.
When that wasn’t enough, you found a way to steal what few friends I had.
God forbid, I actually brought a guy around.
Hell, you’d snatch him up in a second. I had nothing. You made sure of that. You all did.”
“Oh, well, let’s just have ourselves a little pity party, why don’t we?
” She propped her backside against the counter as she crossed her arms and snarled, “You’ve always been sooo good at that.
God, you were constantly whining about something ...
trying to make Mom feel guilty for ev-ery-thing she ever did for me.
It was insane. Your leaving was the best thing that ever happened to us. ”
“Then why are you even here?” I snapped. “If you were so happy to see me gone, which you clearly were, why not just leave me the hell alone! It’s not like I asked you here. I certainly didn’t ask for any of this!”
“To be honest, it was Eric’s idea. I tried to tell him it was a waste of time, but he insisted.
He’s so enamored with me, he wanted to know everything there was to know about me, even if that included my estranged sister.
” Every word out of her mouth cut me like a knife, but I swallowed back my tears, refusing to let Kate see she’d upset me.
Not that it mattered. It was pretty clear she didn’t care as she shrugged with indifference.
“I tried to talk him out of it, but when he insisted, I figured we could play the old family card one last time, and from what I can tell, it’s worked so far. ”
“Well, it’s over now. I’m done playing charades for you and your little boyfriend.” I pointed to the door and told her, “It’s time for you to go.”
“There’s no reason for this to change anything, Marlie. We’re still the same people we were ten minutes ago.”
“Yeah, you’re still a royal bitch. That’s never going to change.” Boiling with a mix of rage and heartbreak, I pointed to the door as I ordered, “Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.”
“Oh, for goodness sake. You really are second class.”
Her heels clomped across the kitchen tile as she stormed out.
Once she’d gone, I went over and slammed the door behind her.
Then, and only then, I let the tears fall, and man, oh man, did they fall.
Feeling like my whole world had been turned upside down, I sobbed and sobbed.
I don’t know how long I’d been crying when I finally made my way into the living room.
I picked up one of our family photos off the mantle and carried it over to the sofa.
I sat there studying the way Kate sat in Mom’s lap and how Mom and Dad had their arms around her, adoring her, while I stood off to the side like I was just there—imposing on their special moment, and it was like everything suddenly became so clear.
I wasn’t crazy. They did love and adore Kate more than they did me, and I guess they had every right to do so.
She was their child, their own flesh and blood, and I was just some stranger they’d brought into their home.
I just didn’t understand why they’d never told me.
After sitting there for over an hour trying to sort through the mess in my head, there was a knock at my door.
Worried it might be Kate coming back for more, I quickly stood, wiped the tears from my face, and straightened my clothes.
I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing my upset, so I took a couple of deep breaths and put on a brave face.
All my efforts were dashed the second I opened the door and found Rafe standing there.
Before I even had a chance to speak, he asked, “What’s wrong? ”
“You don’t even want to know.” I left him standing at the door as I walked back into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you had to go to the clubhouse.”
“I did, but I’m here now.” He closed the door and started over to me. “What’s going on?”